Is the Sunset Watch going on, even with this weather? Yes.

• In case of pouring rain or lightning storm, this event will be cancelled.
• In case of high wind (non-dangerous), spattering rain, or dense clouds, this event will CONTINUE TO HAPPEN.

Is the Comet Viewing happening tonight? Maybe.

• I’ve been doing nightly comet spotting from the south end of Lincoln Park beach on nights that it are clear enough to see the comet. This is from 7:45pm-8:45pm, now through Sunday the 24th.
• If you look towards the horizon and can see the Olympics, hold your fist out at arm’s length and line up the bottom of your fist with the far edge of the water. If the clouds on the horizon are shorter than your fist, I’ll be there with telescopes to help you find the comet. If the clouds are taller than your fist, they are likely obscuring the comet, and comet-viewing is cancelled for the night.

It’s time for the 16th seasonal sunset watch!!

• When: Wednesday, March 20 at 7:13pm (so come at 7:00pm)
  • Actual sunset is supposed to be at 7:23pm, but at the summer solstice we noticed that the Sun set about 10 minutes earlier than the USNO says it does, so I’ve moved the time of our sunset watch up so we don’t miss it. Last autumn the timing seemed to line up correctly – what will it do this time?
  • The equinox moment is at 4:02am… but we’re watching the sunset not the sunrise because of how the park lines up.
• Where: Solstice Park – all the way up the hill from the tennis courts (or, if you’re not in Seattle, wherever you have a view of the western horizon!)
• Who: Everyone welcome, as usual.

Sunset on September 23, 2011 Image credit: Jason Gift Enevoldsen

Come watch the winter solstice sunset at Solstice Park in West Seattle on Saturday the 22nd. We’ll see if the sunset lines up with the placed marker. I’ll be there even if it is cloudy because sometimes the Sun peeks through just as it begins to set, but if it is driving rain or sleet I’m staying home with some hot tea!

If you’re interested – here’s the timing of various celestial events  from Seattle, courtesy of the U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department:

Sun and Moon Data for One Day

The following information is provided for Seattle, King County, Washington (longitude W122.3, latitude N47.6):

Wednesday
20 March 2013 Pacific Daylight Time

SUN
Begin civil twilight 6:41 a.m.
Sunrise 7:12 a.m.
Sun transit 1:17 p.m.
Sunset 7:23 p.m.
End civil twilight 7:53 p.m.

MOON
Moonrise 11:46 a.m. on preceding day
Moonset 3:19 a.m.
Moonrise 12:41 p.m.
Moon transit 8:22 p.m.
Moonset 3:56 a.m. on following day

Phase of the Moon on 20 March: waxing gibbous with 60% of the Moon’s visible disk illuminated.

This event is my part of the NASA’s Solar System Ambassador program, and thanks to West Seattle Blog for publicizing the last few!

Everyone is welcome, see you there!

~ A l i c e !

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